Late Nights and Birthday Wishes
by XXXaaaXXX
Summary: Clay has been up all night, and the night before that, and the night before that. Kimiko wants to things for her birthday, the shirts Rai wrecked and.... ClayKim


Late Nights and Birthday Wishes

Inspired by me writing this really late at night after a week with no sleep, don't think it was worth it.

ClayKim

It was late. He was tired. But he couldn't go to be just yet. Tomorrow was Kimiko's birthday, and her present wasn't perfect yet. He had stayed up every night for a week so he could finish her present in absolute secrecy, not to mention on time.

Why would he put himself through this? The cowboy wondered that himself sometimes, but there was a reason, a pretty dang good one. He was almost positive he loved the girl, therefore his present to her had to be the best. If Raimundo one upped him, all hope was lost. If Kimiko didn't just love his present to her, then all hope was truly lost.

He paused for a moment, letting his thoughts turn to the girl sleeping next door. Every time Kimiko fell he was there to catch her, everyone just thought he was a good team mate. He laughed to himself at that idea. He put in the extra effort to catch the fire girl as gently as possible because he wanted to get to hold her for a second. Those seconds, unfortunately were few and far apart, with the gap growing every day as she became a more competent warrior.

He looked up on his wall, and through the dim light he was working in, he saw it was getting close to 2 A.M. It was time to turn it. Placing his present for Kimiko in his trunk he went to bed, after all, it just needed the final touch to make it perfect.

Kimiko woke up early; she always did on her birthday. It was a day all about her, how could it not be her favorite day?

Of course, she had her list of things she wanted for her birthday. She didn't really expect to get her top two; they were so out of reach she almost didn't dream about them. One was Clay. Quite obviously NOT going to happen. Everyone had this crazy idea she liked Raimundo. Where they came up with this idea was completely beyond her. She gave Omi hugs instead of kisses on the cheek like Raimundo so the yellow boy wouldn't explode from shock, and it was quite clear why she never kissed Clay. She loved it when Clay caught her, if someone were to really watch; they would see that when Clay catches the fire girl she stays in his arms, unlike with anyone else. Else being Raimundo.

She skipped out of her room thinking of her birthday and of the presents she had yet to receive but mostly Clay.

Clay and Kimiko had both been waiting anxiously all day for 'Present time' which, annoyingly enough, was after dinner, even worse, after dessert.

She opened Rai's first, much to the Brazilian's joy and the Texan's annoyance, not that he was actually planning on giving her his gift first… Why did Rai always get to go first? He just wished that for once Raimundo would come in last. Dead last. Kimiko slowly unwrapped it, it a replacement for the three tops he ruined when the moron used them as rags.

The fire girl hugged Raimundo, then turned back to her stack of presents, where Omi basically attacked her, demanding his be opened next. After all, he wanted a 'girl hug'

Omi got her the lipstick he had wrecked last week. She laughed "Is all I'm going to get replacements to what I've already gotten?" She opened the rest of her presents, one by one, giving each giver a hug and a thank you.

"Clay, where is your present?" Kimiko asked curiously, trying to conceal the hurt in her voice.

The cowboy stood up and took the girl's hand and took her to his room, leaving the other monks behind, and very confused. In his room, sitting on his trunk, was a book.

It was red and brown, the colors of earth and fire, and filled with every picture there was of the two of them together. Along with the photos, there were little notes.

Clay waited nervously and impatiently as she got to the last page. On it was written:

_Kimiko,_

_I didn't know the right way to tell ya this, but I love you. Happy birthday,_

_Clay Bailey._

Kimiko gasped and walked over to Clay, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed the shocked cowboy.

"All those long nights were worth it" He muttered, kissing her again.

"I got the two things I wanted for my birthday, thank you" She said after he pulled away.

"Oh, what was that?" He asked pulling her closer to him, in a tight embrace.

"The shirts Raimundo wreck, and…" she paused, looking at the cowboy with adoration "You"


End file.
